What is the Human Genome Project?
Begun formally in 1990, the U.S. Human Genome Project was a 13-year effort coordinated by the U.S. Department of Energy and the National Institutes of Health. The project originally was planned to last 15 years, but rapid technological advances accelerated the completion date to 2003. Project goals were to • identify all the approximately 20,000-25,000 genes in human DNA, • determine the sequences of the 3 billion chemical base pairs that make up human DNA, • store this information in databases, • improve tools for data analysis, • transfer related technologies to the private sector, and • address the ethical, legal, and social issues (ELSI) that may arise from the project. To help achieve these goals, researchers also studied the genetic makeup of several nonhuman organisms. These include the common human gut bacterium Escherichia coli, the fruit fly, and the laboratory mouse. A unique aspect of the U.S. Human Genome Project is that it was the first large scientific undertaking to add
The Human Genome Project was an international effort to map the complete human genome, for the purpose of scientific and medical advancement. Although the project was spearheaded by American government agencies, scientists in 18 additional countries contributed skills and data. The result of the Human Genome Project was a publication of a more or less complete copy of the human genome, which is available to members of the public for free on a number of websites which allow people to browse the genome in a variety of ways. The genome of an organism consists of all the genetic material, including coding for specific genes. The primary interest of researchers was locating particular genes in the chromosomes, and exploring common genetic variations. However, they were also interested in the genome as a whole, not just genes, as there is a great deal of material to sift through. The so-called “junk DNA” may not appear to be doing anything functional, but it could be important nonetheless. R
Every cell of every living organism contains the master blueprint for all cellular structures and activities for the lifetime of the organism. The complete set of instructions for making a person is known as the human genome. The U.S. Human Genome Project is an effort coordinated by the Department of Energy and the National Institutes of Health that aims to: • identify all the approximately 30,000 genes in human DNA, • determine the sequences of the 3 billion chemical base pairs that make up human DNA, • store this information in databases, • improve tools for data analysis, • transfer related technologies to the private sector, and • address the ethical, legal, and social issues (ELSI) that may arise from the project.
